simply : women on purpose

“Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family.

Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one”

– Jane Howard

“Simply Women on Purpose” (SWOP) has finally been birthed, a unique offer for women who want to be the change we want to see in the world and the change that the world needs to see.

My passion for purpose and mission for meaning has been enhanced since receiving the email that invited me to become a Fellow of the RSA a couple of years ago, and my commitment to supporting others was strengthened when I was elected as a Fellowship Councillor for the South West. I’m now enhancing the offer I make in service of something even larger, supported through Catalyst funding from the RSA, and taking a brand new project called “Simply Women on Purpose” (SWOP) around the UK this year.

I first had the idea for SWOP four years ago when I started looking for what was out there for women like me, women who place purpose at the centre of all they do, women who have found and follow a path with heart, women who are changemakers, women who are difference deliverers, and women who want to be and do all of these things. And despite my searching, I couldn’t find the thing I was looking for. There were plenty of “business” networks where the focus was all profit and no purpose, they just didn’t sit well with me, because I believe that business needs to be a force for good rather than a force for gain.

Perhaps because of working for myself I was craving connection, I had a need to be part of something bigger, then I found this quote and thought maybe its not just me:

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family, whoever you are, you need one” (Anonymous)

And so I began to play with the idea of creating a new network, where women could come together, where the focus was on being supported and supporting, where women’s wellbeing was as important as the work we do and, most importantly, the primary purpose was purpose and becoming the change we want to see in the world – together. I hosted a free one day conference last summer “Women on Purpose – Connect, Create, Collaborate”, supported by the RSA, where I talked about this idea, this dream, this fantasy and where I brought women I knew who were leading purpose-flled lives and organisations to tell their stories. The response from the attendees was remarkable and my call to action from them was loud and clear – we love this, we want more and one day is not enough!

And so SWOP (Simply Women on Purpose) was born – a new project and network in the making, helping to support women to improve their wellbeing and create a purpose driven life using a combination of workshops, presentations, interactive activities and networking underpinned by positive psychology. Offering low cost community based events and workshops where women leave with an expanded sense of possibility, more able to nourish themselves and clarity on how to become their own change makers. Creating true connection at all levels, participants are provided with practical tools for positive transformation and for living an authentic life filled with purpose and meaning.

And thanks to a Catalyst grant, SWOP is about to be taken around the UK to eleven locations – Truro, Bristol, London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, York, Cumbria, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Belfast. In each location I will be offering a free two hour workshop, exploring the three core themes of SWOP which are “Connect: Create: Collaborate” and will be in conversation with a local woman on purpose.

What is SWOP?

Simply Women on Purpose” (SWOP) enables women to harness their personal power to drive forward change in their communities, their workplaces or in their own lives using the themes of “CONNECT, CREATE & COLLABORATE”.

SWOP is designed to provide women with the tools, knowledge, and network to develop ideas for positive change and provide practical tools for transformation and for living an authentic life filled with purpose and meaning.

Supporting women to improve wellbeing and create a purpose driven, placing authenticity and integrity at the core of the “Simply Women on Purpose” model of feminine leadership and creating true connection at all levels.

SWOP supports women fully to craft “purpose-full” and “meaning-full” lives in the following ways:

Using Positive Psychology for Purpose – a range of experiential workshops looking at flow, flourishing, and strengths and how these can be developed in helping to create a purpose driven life

Purpose & Meaning – workshops, tools and exercises to help in finding and following a path with purpose

Conscious Commerce – practical workshops, tools and advice to enable women to craft and develop businesses with social aims and objectives aligned to their own core values

Mindfulness & Meditation – the benefits of living a more mindful life, meditation techniques and practices, and how this can help us find and follow our path

Nature as a Teacher – guided outdoor sessions helping us to connect with nature and use nature as a teacher, to enhance our deeper connection and to help improve our wellbeing

Creativity and connection – experiential workshops using creativity as a tool to tap into ideas and as a tool for expressing these in visual forms

Natural Health & Wellbeing for Women – sessions looking at how we can gently support our health and wellbeing by living more in tune with natural rhythms thus helping our inner and outer worlds to work more in harmony

Through authentic dialogue and meaningful interaction, women are filled with an expanded sense of possibility and are able to nourish themselves, their career, and their community and also learn how to become their own change maker.

“The Simply Women on Purpose” (SWOP) Roadshow is the first stage of engaging with women around the UK, and is being supported through a Catalyst Grant from the RSA(Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) (https://www.thersa.org)

The mission of the RSA is to enrich society through ideas and action.

They believe that all human beings have creative capacities that, when understood and supported, can be mobilised to deliver a 21st century enlightenment.

“Simply Women on Purpose” highlighting the importance and value of women working collaboratively to create positive change within themselves, community and society.